Summary
Beginning way back in 2014, theFive Nights at Freddy’suniverse has expanded greatly, and so has its character count. Fans have been able to choose from a plethora of animatronics ever since the second game came out. Growing from the original crew of five to the current crew of over 130 animatronics, there’s no shortage of fun, cute, and scary animatronics.
There are 13 officialFive Nights at Freddy’sgames and over 130 animatronics, not every single one will be listed here. The list will include animatronics fromFNAF 1–4,Sister Location,Pizzeria Simulator, andSecurity Breach. The list will take into account iconic animatronics, animatronics that are simply terrifying, and any that simply got their job done.
S-Tier
These four animatronics remain iconic for the franchise and the lore. Of course, Freddy Fazbear himself had to be at the top of the list. It’s his pizzeria after all, and it would only make sense. There’s yet to be aFive Nights at Freddy’sgame without him.
The Marionette and Golden Freddy have both done numbers for the infamously complicatedFive Nights at Freddy’slorethat fans adore so much. They’ve both had their tragic stories told and theorized about for ages. And with Springtrap being the man behind the slaughter, there’s no one better to tie off the first and highest tier.
A-Tier
Bonnie remains a staple for fans across all games, even when he isn’t there. His absence in the originalSecurity Breachgame was not well-received and had fans eager todecommissionSecurity Breach’s Monty. Foxy is just as iconic, being the only animatronic ever seen to run directly at the player in the first game. Circus Baby’s debut sparked many questions and theories, and her story inSister Locationhad fans desperately trying to connect the dots as they realized she was originally Elizabeth Afton. And Shadow Bonnie got his boost in popularity with the AR game as a speculated representation of agony.
B-Tier
WhenFive Nights at Freddy’s:Security Breachdropped, many players were excited to see the modernized setting that the newFNAFgame was in. The new, refreshing look of the franchise excited fans, even despite the buggy launch. Balloon Boy, on the other hand, is playfully hated by many, but that’s what makes him a staple. From the same game, Mangle became quickly beloved among LGBTQ+ fans when their gender was confirmed as “Yes” by creator Scott Cawthon. In the earliest stages of theFNAFfandom, hoaxes were going around left and right, which made it hard to believe if Shadow Freddy existed or not. He exists, and he’s a solid B-tier animatronic.
C-Tier
Candy Cadet entertained players with the chance to hear several secret stories revealing tidbits about the lore. When Scott Cawthon released the Halloween DLC forFive Nights at Freddy’s4, he also released one of thescariestFive Nights at Freddy’sanimatronicsin the form of Nightmarionne/Nightmare Marionette. However, no DLC was needed to witness the horror that is Nightmare Fredbear.
D-Tier
Both Plushtrap and Nightmare Balloon Boy alike faded to the background of the franchise. They were scary for a little while, but they were outshone by their fellow animatronics in the other Nightmare animatronic lines. The entire Rockstar animatronic line fromFive Nights at Freddy’s: Pizzeria Simulatorsadly suffered the same fate. Lolbit is more of a niche animatronic that felt more like a surprise, rare appearance and Easter egg than a real animatronic, sadly dropping them down the ladder.
Fading sadly into irrelevance, the Mediocre Melodies, Phantoms, and Endoskeletons all sink to the bottom of the ladder. The Mediocre Melodies were surprisingly well-named, as the only animatronic from that line to catch any player’s attention was Mr. Hippo for his lengthy death lines in one of thehardestFive Nights at Freddy’sgames,Ultimate Custom Night. The Phantom animatronics could have been left inFNAF 3and no one would have batted an eye, though the unique mechanic was interesting, it did not leave a strong impression. And the Endoskeletons themselves acted more like rare Easter eggs than real threats since they couldn’t kill players.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a first-person survival horror and resource management game from Scott Cawthorn that raced to popularity thanks to its creepy animatronic enemies and its array of panic-inducing jumpscares. Bringing life to a cavalcade of well-known characters like Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Foxy, Bonnie, and more, Five Nights at Freddy’s has seen immense success, spinoffs, and fan games.
